


Web We Weave

by tearose11



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: All the problematic things, Alpha Shiro (Voltron), Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Arranged Marriage, Cover Art, Dubious Morality, M/M, Mentions of Anxiety, Not Beta Read, Omega Keith, commissioned artwork inside, hahaha just kidding there is no morality, written out of spite
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-27
Updated: 2019-04-27
Packaged: 2019-07-04 12:42:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15841530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tearose11/pseuds/tearose11
Summary: Shiro, and Adam are stuck in an marriage of familial obligations. Publicly they maintain a united front, but privately are hardly more acquaintances. When Adam adopts an orphaned omega in an effort to boost his own public image, Shiro finds himself suddenly responsible for a teenager despite his reluctance. Keith, the adopted teen, and Shiro are inescapably drawn to each other despite their initial misgivings, and soon find themselves in a web of lies.[Author's note: You can guess where this fic is headed, yes, it's going to be messy and be of zero morality. If the subject matter is not to your liking, please DO. NOT. READ. If you like to explore slightly darker themes in your fiction, then please come along for the ride! Thank you!]





	1. Cover Art

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I am overjoyed to have the talented [Velos](https://twitter.com/velos__7) draw this for me. 
> 
> Hope you guys love it as much as I do!♥

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come yell at me: On Twitter [@jinath_hyder](https://twitter.com/Jinath_Hyder), Insta [Lucifer's Arch Priestess](https://www.instagram.com/jinathhyder/) and Tumblr [The Essential J](http://theessentialj.tumblr.com/) Cheers! ♥


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This basic premise was born out of my rage filled spite towards certain vld viewers, encouraged by discord peeps, who added more fuel to the fire.
> 
> Don't say I didn't warn you, because it's about to get hella problematic.
> 
> And yes, will be edited later for mistakes.

The ticking of the clock was loud in the silence of the room. It seemed even louder to man’s ears than his own heartbeat.

With a sigh, he turned over, the sheets chafing against his skin, an itch right underneath he couldn’t scratch, an irritating sensation he should by all rights, now be comfortable with.

Yet the cotton felt oppressive, the slow yet determined click, click, click of the second hand on the round face of the clock across the room, added to the restlessness in his arm, and legs, invisible ants crawling over him.

He could do this. Box breathing. Exhale. Concentrate on the oxygen leaving your body. Inhale through the nose. Hold for..tick…damn that stupid analog clock…no, no, don’t give in to the anxiety…

Exhale.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Inhale.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

* * *

 

“My God, an hour, and a half from the airport to this…” Fingers swirled in the air as a jacket was flung across the sofa, rich brown leather standing out against the white (if Shiro remembered correctly, it was called Wispy White by the designer) of the armchair like a errant coffee stain.

“To what do I owe this early morning pleasure?” He asked from behind the desk, reluctantly looking away from his screen.

“Why I thought I’d come pry my spouse away from work for lunch, of course.” Adam walked over to present his turned cheek, a signal Shiro followed, landing as brief of a touch as he could manage, mind thinking of entirely other matters as the smell of powdery irises invaded his nostrils.

“The meeting…” he started, watching the other man make a face.

“Cancel it.”

“You know it’s an important meeting with a potential supplier.” Shiro sighed.

“Takashi, I have important issues to discuss with you.” Sunlight reflected off the man’s frames, hiding the expression in the brown haired man’s eyes, although the tone, and posture of his body belied his thoughts on the matter. “Of course, I could have easily flown in directly here, and thus not wasted precious time already.”

Had you done what I wanted, remained unspoken in the air between them.

Shiro ducked his head behind his screen for a second, schooling his own expression. He had been dreading Adam’s arrival from the night before, as well as worrying about the presentation in the afternoon. Which his spouse knew about, and yet…

“Alright, we can have lunch here, early, so I can just to into the meeting immediately.” He offered, keeping his tone level, hand hovering to put a request to the dining hall kitchen.

“There’s a new chef, and I’m certain he would be more than happy for the opportunity to whip up something delectable for your discerning palate.”

His finger hovered over the phone directory for a few seconds, half-expecting more protests.

“Fine. I’m not here for the food anyway.” A shrug of the shoulder, and the Omega stood up to walk over to where he had thrown his tablet case, unzipping it, lips slightly pursed.

Shiro sent off a quick note to Veronica, letting her know they’d meet to go over everything before the afternoon visit at one-thirty. She responded quickly, and some of Shiro’s worries eased; she was highly reliable, so there shouldn’t really be much to worry about despite his slight change of plans.

The Alpha took a sip of water, stepping away to sit across from Adam, wondering what had prompted this visit. Despite being married to the man for the last three years, after knowing him for an additional four, he now felt on edge whenever they were in the same room. Had he been free to choose someone else, he would have prefered someone who sparked some intellectual interest in him, or even some physical desire, but Adam left him cold.

It wasn’t that the other man was a terrible person, but they had extremely different visions in life.

Where Shiro had once hoped that their mutual love of flying might be not such a terrible basis for their arranged nuptials, that idea had fallen by the wayside while in flight school. Every success of Shiro’s was taken as a small jab at Adam’s failure to not achieve the same, to the point where the other had stopped speaking to him outside of classes for three months.

Shiro had only offered an olive branch at the behest of his family, who did not want to ruin any chance of securing the financial backing Adam’s family could provide.

It was a simple transaction: the old, respectful Shirogane name in exchange for considerable new money the Wendells could invest in the business.

Not the first nor the last of its kind as far as those things went.

There was also hope in some of the more tender minds of both families, for a new addition after two years into the marriage.

One Shiro wouldn’t have minded fulfilling further down the road. Had he been as interested in Adam as he was in the skies. Or Adam had been willing to try as much as he liked spending time with his friends, being seen at the three-grand plus gala for latest cause célèbre.

Still they had tried.

Twice with disastrous results. Once with clear heads, the second with alcohol, which needless to add, ended even far sooner than the first, with angry words from both parties.

That last effort had been half a year ago, during which Adam, and Shiro had come to an understanding. Keep up the pretence of being together, plead youth for the lack of any offspring, and present an united front to both families when needed.

Which was why Shiro had thought Adam was dropping by: a pretend conjugal visit for anyone looking. However, the bespeckled man had sent an ominous “Wish to discuss something a matter.” that had set Shiro’s already racing mind, whirling.

Sitting across from the man, Shiro’s mouth twisted, wondering if it was a separation notice the other wished to present. The thought had crossed his mind many times, hovering on his lips, but never uttered.

He didn’t need to tempt fate. Not yet.

“Have you ordered food?” Adam asked, as Shiro put his glass of water down.

“Yes.”

“Good, I am a bit peckish, after all.” the man cleared his throat. “So…as you know, I’ve been looking for a great cause to celebrate the W Foundation’s 30th anniversary, which is coming up in three year’s time. But good causes are so hard to find (Shiro raised an eyebrow which thankfully went unnoticed) and well, a new, worthy cause even harder. I mean how many times can one do crochet cozies for penguins? Or send Evian to drought-stricken areas? I don’t think they appreciate Evian water, Sandy said one of the elderly had mentioned it tasted funny. Can you imagine?”

Shiro could very well imagine, but he hummed, hoping it came off as more agreeable than sarcastic.

“Indeed. After racking my brain, I was looking through one of the many homes we donate to, when it occurred to me. Did you know the adoption rate drop after puberty? Seems most people prefer to adopt children before presentation or very soon after presentation, and fully presented teens are usually left in system.”

“That’s terrible.” the dark haired man said, for once impressed by Adam. He had passed off the man’s charity work as more of a means to make it to the lastest society blogs, than any real desire to actually make a difference.

“I knew you’d agree. So I thought, what would be the right thing to do? Adopt, of course. I mean we donate to the orphanages already, but we have never outright adopted anyone.”

“I think you mean sponsoring, right? I don’t think the Foundation can legally adopt children or teens.”

Adam gave a short laugh. “Of course, I know the difference between sponsorships, scholarships and all of that, Takashi. And no, I meant actual adoption. Legally, as an individual. As in myself.”

Shiro frowned. “Adam, as great as that idea sounds, this is something we can’t jump into.”

“Did you not listen? I said myself.” Adam smirked at him, fingers on his right hand splayed over his chest. “Think of the publicity for the Foundation when I announce that we will be be giving a grant for one lucky couple to adopt the unwanted leftovers from a select home of our choice. Think of how much better it will be if I’m up there with my own success story, my own adopted child by my side. The press will be enormous!”

The earlier kernel of respect Shiro had felt for the man was rapidly vanishing.

Of course, there had to be some personal reward for Adam’s generosity. It wasn’t genuine concern for any of the kids left behind, but rather the need to be applauded by everyone for being good. On top of that, Adam wanted to go in alone, so that the spotlight would be solely on the fabulous Adam Wendell, benefactor extraordinaire, and no one else, not even his legally wedded husband.

“I see.” Shiro said, which prompted a wave of fingers in the air.

“I’ve spoken it over with my lawyers, and I have have a list of kids who are available. Here, take a look.” Adam turned over the tablet to Shiro.

Who looked at the names, and ages of the kids, all young, and sadly overlooked since they were considered too old for people to adopt: 16, 14, 14, 17, 16. Designated as Alpha, alpha, beta, beta, omega. There were no photos attached, even their names were only initials as per the law.

Strangely it was omega who had a large paragraph of citations, next to his name. Combative. Highly reactionary. Etc. etc. On mental level, Shiro felt a pull towards the omega: a feisty little thing given the listed height, and weight. He almost smiled fondly reading all the problems cleverly hidden behind the words, the 16 year old boy seem to get into. In his head, he pictured a skinny runt of the litter getting into scraps with kids far bigger than himself.

“So you want to adopt one of these kids, by yourself?” he asked handing the tablet back.

“Naturally. Our marriage…” Adam shrugged. “And it would be legal, I don’t need to even involve you on any level. However, I thought I should inform you before showing up with one of these…things.”

They are not objects, Shiro wanted to say, but didn’t wish to fight. Not when he could see the gleam of determination behind those lenses.

“I appreciate that.”

With a smug look, the other man settled back against the armchair. “It is so difficult to choose though. Especially when I don’t know what they look like.”

“Of course, you need to ensure you pick someone photogenic.”

“This one 14 year old sounds like they would be perfect except it says she’s very good at football, which is fine, I suppose, but I’d rather have someone who would be better at more acceptable pursuits like polo.”

“Well that would rule out three of them then.”

“Really? Three?” Adam frowned.

“Yes, both of the alphas, the second listen beta. That other beta seems to excel at math, hardly the type to be excited by the more, er, gentlemanly sports, from the description. But that omega on the other hand…perhaps you can channel his enthusiasm into something like fencing. I’m sure I saw an article about the youngest Rana boy winning on the same date his father had years before, at the Junior World’s.”

Adam now sat upright more, leaning forward, fingers moving over the tablet typing fast. “That’s Akash, the youngest one?”

Shiro nodded, knowing how much it mattered to the Wendels to pursue anything practiced by any noble or royal families. The knock on his door signalled lunch, and as he went to let the one of the kitchen staff in, Adam pulled out his phone.

The first fifteen minutes of the meal was spent Adam speaking to his assistant, then lawyer, giving out orders to go ahead with paperwork for the adoption. After which the man asked for his lunch to be packed, as he simply had to fly back to finalize everything.

Shiro made the appropriate responses, picking up the long discarded jacket to walk his husband out.

Who was feeling happier having secured Shiro’s approval without any fights at all, and generously kissed the black-haired man’s cheek with a wide smile. Then he loudly proclaimed how much he couldn’t do without the the other, a wonderful touch Shiro thought, as staff were about to witness the state of their marriage, despite the short visit.

Pleased at the Adam’s swift departure, Shiro acted the part of the devoted husband, opening the car door, and placing deceptively romantic kiss on the wrist, before waving the other off, thoughts already on the upcoming meeting.

* * *

Hours later just as Shiro was about to head into the shower after a long, but quite successful day, his phone signalled an incoming message.

It was Adam: “Paperwork complete, all set. Shall meet the boy in three days’ time to bring him home.”

“All your hard work has paid off, well done.” Shiro typed, laughing to himself. Sometimes it was easy to steer Adam without any effort at all. Just as he put the phone down, another message came through.

This time it was a picture. Unruly black hair, and a still-childlike puffy cheeks. “Oh forgot to share this + name: Kogane, Keith.


	3. Chapter 3

“However, if they want the RS-25 with the modification…” as everyone took a look at their tablets for the relevant notes, Shiro paused. “…will require literally going back to the drawing board. I know there were two previous designs which would…”

Suddenly his eyes were drawn to his phone, the blinking light right the the corner of his vision making him turn his head. It was very unusual for anyone to call him at this particular time of the morning, as he glanced at the time, it was past 2 a.m. in the morning for his grandparents. Unless there was an emergency, the unbidden thought crept into his head.

“Excuse me, I just need to check my phone for a second.” He swiped it to show 2 missed calls from Adam, causing him to frown. It couldn’t be too important, could it? With a shake of his head, he put the device face down; if it wasn’t his grandparents, everyone else could wait.

“Sorry about that, as I was saying…” he went back to the matter at hand regarding a potential contract to build a specialized spacecraft for manned missions to Mars. It was a huge opportunity to say the least, a chance for the Shirogane company to pull off the ultimate comeback project after spending the last few years in relative obscurity due to financial circumstances.

The company itself had its start in a vastly different area of exploration on earth. For generations the Shiroganes had been in the business of shipbuilding till in the early 1900s, when Shiro’s great-great grandfather, Yoshitoshi, had seen men take to the skies, which started his obsession with flight. While trying to build his own small craft, a delay in receiving engine parts had him trying to make his own with the help of some other curious friends. He succeeded in not only making them, but found out that he had designed a much better unit than the one he had ordered, which sparked his interest to delve deeper into building more varied, complicated machinery. His life-long quest to keep perfecting the technology, and diving head-first into the then relatively new market of air travel set the rest of the family on a divisive spilt of sorts. Appalled over his abandonment of their generations-old business, a rift appeared between Yoshitoshi & his brothers. However as the eldest brother, and patriarch by default, his will prevailed. He invested money into the new venture, managing to be the first man to fly from the first permanent airfield in Japan in a span of a short few years, garnaring overseas interest.

 

Over his lifetime, Yoshitori built the completely new business on the prestige of the Shirogane name. The inner-family resentments never quite went away however, a fact which would cause problems all the way down to his great-great grandchild, one Takashi Shirogane. Whose parents accidental death put most of the control of the finances in the hands of the other side of the family, the ones who still resented Yashitori. Old unchanged wills, complicated inheritance laws became the basis for a drawn out court battle between the two factions, with Shiro’s grandparents coming out the losers. Forced to offer monetary compensation, they had no choice, but to drive the company almost to the ground, selling off assets one painful auction at the a time.

Had Shiro’s father survived, perhaps things would have turned out differently, but as it were the family, and in turn the business had been struggling financially till the Wendells befriended them by a twist of fate a short few years after that incidence.

Young Takashi Shirogane, aged 14, the heir apparent to that illustrious family name was smart, bright, outgoing, academically ahead of his age, and the Wendells impressed by the 300-year old family heirloom vases, as well as by the potential return on investment from the business, had zoned in on him as the perfect key to solving both families problems.

Adam Wendell, the always the spoilt younger Omega child, two years Shiro’s senior, just happened to be in the same grade as Shiro who had been far too intelligent for his age. A more perfect scenario the Wendells could not have dreamt of, had things not already played out to their advantage.

The Shiroganes got a much needed fresh infusion of cash for the business, without giving up control of the company to outsiders, and the Wendells, a chance to have their son married into prestigious name. After all, no matter how much money one made, history could not be bought, and the boost to one’s social stock with connections to the right name was worth its weight in gold.

Thus it was that Shiro, and Adam’s fate was sealed on the promise of an union of mutual benefit.

The fresh infusion of capital gave the company new life, and slowly, once-burnt, twice-cautious, Hisoka, Shiro’s grandfather, began to slowly rebuild on the dream that had been the founder’s so many years ago.

By they time Shiro had graduated, he had been shadowing his grandfather’s work all in preparation for officially leading the family business when the time was right. The current patriarch out of consideration for Shiro’s grandmother’s preference of staying in Japan, travelled when needed, and was slowly letting Shiro take the reins in everyday operations. His faith is his grandson wasn’t unfounded, Shiro was a natural born leader, well liked, and despite his youth, well liked by all in the company. Shiro’s own personal interest in the skies above, added pleasure to what he saw as his duty to the family, and he fit in naturally in the boardrooms as well as in the cockpit of the latest aircraft being tested on the vast desert testing site the company was situated on.

Shiro looked out of the windows, even as he spoke, thankful that this facility had been spared the consequences of the sale, it would have been a irreplaceable loss. On the edge of it, was the home he had grown up in, separated by a thicket of Chitalpa trees.

As the meeting progressed he completely forgot about his home, his parents, losing himself in work.

He also missed the third and forth calls on his phone.

 

* * *

 

The car parked in the driveway surprised him, as the headlights from his own illuminated the vehicle.

Immediately he remembered the missed calls on his phone. He had been too absorbed with work, and at the end of the day he had shoved his phone in his case, slight throbbing at his temples making him reluctant to look at another screen for the evening. Driving the short distance from the office had cleared his mind slightly.

However the sight of the rental vehicle, and the lights from the house sent a pulsing shot of ache again in his head; he did not want to listen to whatever new problem Adam was waiting to throw his way at the moment. And it was definitely Adam, who had the security code to the house, who would rent that particular car, no doubt ready to confront him the second he stepped through the doors.

Taking a deep breath, Shiro slowly closed the car door, then walked to the front entrance, trying to flex away the tension in his shoulders.

Sure enough, just as soon as he swiped his thumb on the entry pad, the door opened with a dramatic flourish, Adam’s brown locks highlighted from the light behind him.

“Why don’t you ever answer your phone?” the Omega demanded, brows already furrowed.

“Hello, I’m doing well, thanks for asking.” Shiro answered, walking in.

“We have a problem.” Adam continued, as if the other hadn’t spoken at all, trailing closely as Shiro took off his shoes, almost crowding him.

“Can I please get a few minutes to just decompress?” Shiro bristled at the other man’s overbearing closeness.

“Oh my god, I’m here with an important…fine, just hurry up.”

Suddenly Shiro’s eyes landed on the other pair of shoes by the door. “Who else is here?”

“I thought you needed time to decompress.” the eyebrows arched, as Adam folded his arms, clearly hostile.

Oh, he so needed to…Shiro swore under his breath, not bothering to answer stalking off to the guest powder room, knowing he needed to be calm. He slammed the door shut with a sharp tug behind him, just to let off some steam.

Relax, relax, he told himself looking at his reflection, turning the tap on cold, wetting his palm to brush it over the back of his neck. The chill of the water gave him slight goosebumps, and he closed his eyes, head hanging as he pressed against the rightness right at the base of his skull.

A good ten minutes later, he emerged, feeling the need for a shower, but refreshed enough to face his husband again.

Who was sitting in the living room, arms still crossed, and face grim, silently looking at him as he settled across from the man.

“So what brings you here?” Shiro asked, knowing full well Adam would not speak first otherwise.

“That damned brat of course!”

“Huh? Who…?”

“The stupid kid I adopted. He’s a tremendous pain, Takashi. He has been an incredible nightmare from the moment he came home.” Adam’s voice rose. “He’s nothing but an ungrateful little shit.”

With a sigh, Shiro realized who the other pair of shoes belonged to. But there was no sign of the teen anywhere downstairs. “What happened?”

“Well, when I met him at the Home, he was a silent little bugger, and I thought everything would be fine. We got all the paperwork done, I went to pick him up, because they wouldn’t let him just be picked up by Roberts later on.”

Shiro looked down at his feet, not saying anything. Well, yes, they aren’t going to let you pick up an entire human being like a suit from Tom Ford, by your assistant, you simpleton, he thought.

“So I postponed my lunch with Patrick, and personally had to get everything sorted. Of course the boy didn’t say much, and I was quite happy at first, I didn’t want some talkative teenybopper in the limo with me while I had to make important calls.” Adam continued.

“We went back home, I really didn’t want to take him along to lunch. I even showed him the guestroom I had redone for him, and oh, I had Roberts pick up some clothing, too. You should see the things these kids were wearing at the Home. Just so…basic.” the man shuddered. “I told Robert to arrange for some clothing donation to be made to the Home, by the way. No wonder they don’t get adopted, looking like  _that_.”

“But the little bugger didn’t like any of it. I mean I had Roberts pick up a gorgeous Off White reconstructed hoodie, but no, this…child didn’t want to wear them. Can you imagine?”

“So…the problem with…” Shiro paused trying to recall the name, “Keith? That’s his name right?”

Adam nodded.

“So the issue with Keith is that he didn’t like the clothing?”

“Oh no, it’s not just the clothing. I mean his taste is very…pedestrian? But then he was an absolute terror when I took him to meet the Principal at Longbourne. Of course since I’m an Alumni, he was accepted despite the horrible interview. Expect the first day he almost punched another student. I personally had to go in, and sort it out. Again. Can you picture it? I have never been so humiliated in my life, Takashi!”

“Did you ask him why he got into a fight?”

“Who cares why? My reputation is in tatters! It’s a miracle that the school is so discrete, and Roberts soothed everything out with the McArthurs before they filed a report with the police. Thank God, I hadn’t told anyone else about the adoption, and had passed him off as your cousin.”

“My cousin?” Shiro sat up. “Adam, I don’t …”

“It’s possible, you both have black hair.” the Omega was off the sofa in a flash, “Takashi, you can’t let people know I adopted him. Especially after his horrible behaviour. I mean, I had originally intended this whole thing to be a secret project anyway. I haven’t told Mom or Dad, or, well anyone else. Only Roberts, the Home, and well, the lawyers know about it. Naturally the school will never divulge any personal information. Oh, and of course you know.”

Shiro looked at Adam as the man stood in front of him, looking agitated now.

“I need help with him, Takashi.”

“Adam…” Shiro started, only to be cut off.

“You told me to pick him!”

Shiro’s mouth opened, and closed taken aback. At the time, weeks ago, yes, he had suggested it.

Something he had done at the spur of the moment, then forgotten entirely. During their usual texts, calls or video messages Adam hadn’t mentioned Keith much after that very first day, and as it had nothing much to do with Shiro, he hasn’t’ brought it up either. He had just assumed all was well enough since Adam never brought it up again.

“You did! When I came to you for advice. You are always usually reliable with these things, and so I listened to you, Takashi.”

Shiro tired to protest that he had never given any advice about adoption to anyone before or after, it was nothing he was an expert at, damn it. And even if he had, he wasn’t responsible for Adam’s horrible parenting style, because it did seem like the other man had not tried to forge any meaningful relationship with the boy. This thought he kept to himself though.

“What is it that you think I can do? I have no experience with kids, I’m an only child myself. You at least had siblings.”

“Nonsense, you were always popular, and get along with everyone. People do what you want them to do.”

Shiro sighed. “Being popular doesn’t mean I’ll be able to look after someone. And I work  _with_  people, Adam, not throw them into situations they don’t want to be a part of.”

“Are you saying I forced the brat?”

“No, I don’t…look, I’ve never even met the boy, and I am not sure what he’s like…”

“Great, I’ll leave him here, and you can find out what he’s like, and then you can solve his problems.” Adam flashed him a smile, and walked out of the room.

“What? No, Adam, you can’t just leave him here, and take off.” Shiro hurried after the man.

Who was already putting on his shoes.

“You picked him out of all those little unwanted things, you should deal with it.” the brown haired man waved an accusatory finger at the taller black-haired man.

“They are not things, they are kids. Seriously, you can’t leave him here. Where the hell is he even?”

“I put him up in the guest bedroom, he’s probably sulking there.” Another dismissive wave of his hands, and Adam was opening the front door.

Shiro was now furious, “You are being an absolute child. You can’t just walk in here with a teenager, a teenager  _you_  adopted, dump him on me like some stupid unwanted pet, expecting me to take care of him, and just leave.”

“Well since I’m the child…” Adam poked into his ribs with a finger, “…and you are clearly the adult, you are far better equipped to deal with the stupid boy than me.”

Shiro had the most unnatural urge to pick the other man up, and haul him back into the house instead of watching with clenched fists as Adam slid into the rental car seat with a smug smile on his face.

“You can’t fucking act like this.” was all he could manage, body tight with rage, and disbelief, even as the engine roared to life, the headlights came on. “Adam, don’t you dare fucking leave!”

He was not going to give into his irrational rage, and pummel the car’s hood. He was an adult, he told himself, an adult whose asshole husband was now backing the car onto the street

“Good luck with the brat!” was the last words out of Adam’s mouth as he hit the gas, and with a loud whirl of his tires, drove off.

“Jesus fucking…” Shiro seethed with rage, running into the house, grabbing the keys to his own car fully intending to follow behind. He had walked out in his socks, so he reached for his shoes, when his eyes fell on the other footwear still there.

Frayed laces, the canvas a faded red, the wearer’s feet no doubt smaller than his.

A teen’s.

He swore again, hesitating, torn between speeding off to chase after Adam, and going upstairs to see the poor kid who had been left behind.

Damn it, Shiro swore, reluctantly taking off the one shoe he had managed to put on in his haste. He closed the door, turning on the alarm for the night, depositing the car keys back into the little trinket dish they always were kept in.

He ran a hand through his hair, lips pressing together in distaste, and accepted defeat.

Like it or not, he was now stuck with the owner of those sad looking Converse shoes, and well, fuck if he didn’t agree with Adam’s words earlier.

“… _unwanted little things_ …”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Late night update? You all know by now how I operate. Will fix any spelling, grammar etc. etc. errors later on.

The man, Keith thought, was far too tall for some odd reason, despite the fact that his own father had been of similar height. Wide shoulders matched the height, the black hair looked slightly dishevelled as if he had run his hands through it.

A typical Alpha, the teen scowled, no doubt, even though he hadn’t physically hauled his Omega husband back in the house.

He had heard the entire argument, of course, well, at least the part where Adam had walked out when Keith’s curiosity had gotten the better of him, and he had tiptoed around to the stairway from the guest room he had been unceremoniously told to stay.

The man looked a bit sheepish, and cleared his throat, as if he was stepping into the room uninvited. Which was funny, since he had actually knocked with a slightly awkward “May I come in?” as if he wasn’t the owner of the house.

“Ah, Hi, Keith, I’m Shiro.” he said, crossing his arms. “I’m Adam’s...husband. Adam was in a rush to get back so he didn’t have a chance to say goodbye…”

Keith snorted out loud, an automatic reaction, one he wished he had controlled the moment it escaped his mouth, and caught the wide-eyed look on the other’s face, even as he placed a hand over his mouth as if he could undo his reaction. Immediately, he squared his shoulders, bracing for some type of rebuke for his outburst.

Surprisingly, those grey eyes seemed to glimmer, and then the man laughed, throwing Keith off further.

“I guess you didn’t believe that excuse, did you? Were you listening in as well?” was the amused question.

For a moment Keith thought of denying it, then he changed his mind. “I...was. It was kind of hard to miss how he couldn’t wait to get away.”

Thinky, yet sharp dark eyebrows lifted, as Shiro gestured to the chair by the desk, “May I?”

“It’s your house.” Keith replied, with a shrug.

“I know, doesn’t hurt to be polite though, right?” the older man sat down, taking in a quick stock of the other as discreetly as he could.

The boy’s face was slightly less childlike in person, but he still looked much younger than his 16 years. His slim frame was probably to blame, the faded grey-black t-shirt hanging off sharp boney shoulders, and loose over faded denim which were frayed slightly at the hem, and worn in places, not owing to any designer’s plan, but from general wear and tear.

A bulging knapsack was on the floor nearby, and Shiro wondered if Keith had been told he was going to be left here, and if that was the extent of what the teen owned, crammed into the canvas bag.

Before the anger at Adam could get the better of him again, Shiro focused on the weary look in the boy’s startlingly purple-blue eyes. Who could blame him? Especially after he had obviously heard Adam and his conversation.

“Well, Keith, I won’t insult you by sugar-coating what you’ve already heard. Adam can be...rather challenging to deal with, and I’m truly sorry that you’ve unfortunately had to bear the consequences of his actions.” Shiro looked the younger male in the eye, voice as calming as possible.

He had already made up his mind about what he going to do, there was no way he was going to abandon a 16-year old, especially not after the way boy had been treated. It wouldn’t be easy, but he was going to find a way to make it work. It was the right thing to do, not just as a proper human being, but his Alpha instincts had kicked in with the need to protect a vulnerable young creature now under his roof.

“I know this is not what you may have envisioned when you left the Home, but I want you to know that from now on I’m on your side, and I’ll do my best to make sure you are as comfortable as possible.”

“You’re not sending me back?” Keith asked, frowning.

The Omega had assumed that would be his fate, most likely a local one considering he was quite a distance away from his former one. Surely Adam would relinquish his legal ties to him given how everything had unfolded between them in the past few weeks.

Despite his efforts to not  expect much when the Home had given Keith the news of his adoption, he had felt the bitter twinge of disappointment to have Roberts, Adam’s assistant show up instead of Adam when it was time for him to leave the orphanage. He hadn’t had much time to speak to Adam during their very brief introductory visit, but he had thought, incorrectly as it turned out, that the man would come back to visit again, as well as collect him when all the paperwork was completed.

As it turned out, Adam Wendell, was none too happy to have to come to pick Keith up in person, and had spent the entire trip back to in the back the chauffeured car lamenting the fact.

Keith had kept his mouth closed, unwilling to do anything that might upset his new legal guardian, but he couldn’t help feeling upset. His pleasure at walking through Adam’s high-rise penthouse into a room of his own (a  first in a long time for), was very quickly diminished when the ever efficient Roberts was ordered to bring out a parade of outfits which Keith couldn’t help, but cringe at.

That was the first vocal disagreement he had with Adam.

Which then continued on the daily, over most everything.

His hair was not acceptable. He used the wrong fork at dinner. He was being an utter monster by refusing to go to a school where people wore formal jackets as part of some stuffy, old-fashioned uniform.

It went on and on.

After he had almost broken some overly mean blue-blooded boy’s nose at the school, he was sure that he would be taken back to the orphanage. When Roberts had asked him to pack his things he had left every single item Adam’s money had paid for, and grabbed his own years-old clothing from where he had stashed in the back on the closet. He felt enormous relief leaving the privacy of his temporary residence, looking forward to sleeping on whatever free bunk bed was available at the Home.

Instead, Adam had met him at the airport, dressed in a fancy fur-trimmed overcoat, monogrammed overnight bag at his side. The porter had looked at Keith’s knapsack, and he had reluctantly handed it over only because he wanted to spare the former from Adam’s scowl, one Keith could almost _feel_ forming.

He had never been on a plane before, and despite the tension between himself and Adam, he enjoyed entire experience. It was surreal to watch the city from his window seat, appear smaller, and smaller till it vanished underneath the clouds, and he hardly could keep his stop from staring out the window.

The change of the landscape was startling, though gradual. Lush forests, lakes gave away to redding, brown sand as dry deserts, and canyons, only occasional cities and dull greenery breaking up the sepia tones.

A blast of heat had welcomed them when they had finally arrived, Adam still not having said more than two words to him, and Keith, no less stubborn, had said none.

When they had arrived at the giant house surrounded by a startling number of trees, Keith had assumed it was some expensive private Omega home despite the lack of anyone around. Adam thankfully, had cursed under his breath when he had hovered at the door, poised to make a run for it, muttering harshly, “Of course, Shiro isn’t home yet.”

Keith had recognized the name, having Adam mention his husband a few times in passing to Roberts. Who had nothing but good things to say of the man. Not that Keith trusted him particularly, but from what little he had overheard from the rest of the staff (when they thought no one was listening) it had made him comfortable enough to step inside the building.

Taking it as a good sign that an unknown Alpha’s slight lingering scents didn’t bothered his usual innate sense of danger, he had complied for the most part when Adam had led him upstairs to a guest bedroom.

“This isn’t certainly my choice of decor, but that’s Shiro for you.” the older Omega had muttered throwing open the door, “Just wait here till he’s home.”

Naturally, Adam hadn’t bothered with him again, and Keith had enjoyed the calm, looking out the vast windows outside. It was a quiet place, and somehow the vista in front of him made him feel at ease.

Maybe, he thought, whatever new orphanage he ended up in, would be better than the last one.

So hearing Shiro, the husband of a man who had been the cause of all of Keith’s recent troubles, make such a bold statement promising to look after him, had thrown him for a loop.

No one had ever verberlized any such intention to him as far as he could remember. His father’s family had washed their hands off him when he had wed his mother against their wishes, and after his passing when no one had come forward to claim him as family, he had been assigned to an orphanage.

Adam was only person to have shown any interest, given his difficult history, and even then the older Omega had never expressed any such sentiment.

“Of course you are not going back. Unless you want to?” Shiro asked, as if Keith’s answer was of any real consequence. “I’ll arrange that if that is what you want, it might take a day or two though, seeing it’s Friday, but it can definitely be accomplished, and you can be back at your old place by Monday, Tuesday the latest.”

Keith’s mouth opened and shut quickly. Was this, _this_ Alpha, a complete stranger really, truely asking for _his_ opinion? Would he even really listen?

"You would actually take me back if I wanted?” he asked, highly skeptical.

“Absolutely, Keith. I know it couldn’t have been easy going through the all of this, being surrounded by strangers.  I’ll have to speak to a lawyer though, as Adam is your legal guardian…” Shiro paused, frowning slightly, as he looked through his phone. “...mine only practices corporate law, but I’m confident their offices will be able to point me in the right direction. Give me a few minutes to speak to them so I can get the ball rolling right away.”

His face must have shown his shock, because Shiro looked up, finger poised over someone’s contact info, most likely the lawyer’s, those thick brows furrowed.

“Once I get some information, you will be able to discuss everything with the lawyer directly, they would be bound by the attorney-client clause if you are afraid of anything being revealed to me.” the man continued with a very concerned look. “If you are worried about the finances, we can find someone willing to undertake this pro-bono, but that might take a bit longer to find, and in all likelihood I won’t be able to take you back on as quickly as you’d like.”

Keith could hardly believe what he was hearing. He kept looking at Shiro’s questioning grey gaze, till the man spoke again.

“Keith? Are you ok?”

“I..ah..” Keith was still at a loss as to what to say.

Shiro grew alarmed. Had he scared the boy? Was the talk about delay not the right thing to have said? Shit, he didn’t want to alarm the poor thing further, maybe he was being too overbearing? He started to say something reassuring, but before he could the sound of Keith’s stomach rumbling stopped him.

Who flushed slightly.

Shiro felt relief flood him, of course…! What a useless Alpha he was, never having even thought about food. It was late, and he should have known Adam would have never bothered to feed the poor boy. No wonder Keith looked so strange, he was just starving.

As if on cue, his own stomach reminded him that he hadn’t eaten either, causing him to laugh as Keith’s growled again.

Whose red face broke into a tiny embarrassed smile.

“Well it sounds like all this lawyer talk can wait. Come on, let’s eat first, I haven’t actually eaten anything either. Everything always makes more sense on a full stomach. What do you say?” He walked to stand at the door, cocking his head with a smile.

Keith paused for a second, then nodded, food did sound like a good idea.

 

* * *

 

Shiro took out some bread, deli cuts, pulling out utensils and plates as well, setting everything on the counter where he usually had most of his meals. As Keith quietly sat down, he looked through the fridge, reaching for some lettuce.

“Do you like anything in particular on your sandwich? I have relish, pickles, but sadly no tomatoes.”

“Umm, yeah anything goes...whatever isn’t much trouble.” Keith answered; he was just hungry and having an informal sandwich was a welcome change from the typical three-to five course formal dinner he had to sit through at Adam’s.

“Chips?” Shiro asked, as he poured out some milk for him.

Keith was almost dying from the pleasure of having actual milk instead of the gross non-dairy things Adam insisted on. Chips on top of that?

“Yes, please.”

Shiro handed him a napkin, before placing a fairly stacked sandwich in front of him and sitting down himself. Picking up his own glass of milk, he made a slight toasting motion, a signal Keith too to eagarly tackle his food. The taller man watched amused, as the boy almost devoured the food. He avoided bringing up anything unpleasant during the meal, simply talking about the area instead, who lived nearby, and such, discreetly sliding the last sandwich on to the younger boy’s plate who clearly need it more than he did.

Keith relished the food, enjoying it without having to worry about picking the right fork or knife, and actually not mind as they spoke. As soon as the Alpha mentioned something about a runway, he perked up even more.

“Wait, you can fly?”

“I have to! I’d be disowned otherwise.” Shiro laughed.

“Today was the first time I was on a plane.” Keith couldn’t help it, and the words came tumbling out of his mouth. “It was so amazing. I wish I could fly all the time.”

“It definitely is amazing. I love being up there. The world just falls away, it’s just me, the clouds and open skies.”

Keith nodded in agreement. He couldn’t describe the feeling, but the way Shiro’s eyes lit up, he didn’t have to, the man understood. He certainly talked passionately about it, answering Keith’s questions with enthusiasm.

So much so that Keith was startled to find himself yawning in what seemed like a very short time. The glance at the clock said an hour and more had passed since they had sat down though.

“Oh no, that’s a sign that I’ve been talking for too long.” Shiro got up with a snort.

“No, no, I’m not bored.” Keith found himself moving as well, automatically picking up his glass and plate. “I think I’m just tired.”

“You should be, it’s midnight.” Shiro stepped aside to open up the dishwasher, waiting patiently for him to figure out where everything went. Closing the door, Alpha leaned back, suddenly serious as Keith looked up at him.

“It _is_ late, I’m sorry, I have a bad habit of not knowing when to stop when someone shows any interest about aviation.”

“It’s ok…” Keith trailed off as Shiro shook his head.

“No, I’m sorry because now it’s fairly late to call my lawyer, but let’s give it a try, ok? He might still be up…” he took out his phone again, but this time Keith spoke up.

“Don’t call him now...it’s late as you said.” Suddenly he left reluctant to talk about all the unpleasant things.

“For all the money the company pays, he should fly here right now if needed.” Shiro looked at him with a questioning gaze, “I don’t want you to go to sleep feeling uneasy about anything.”

Stifling a yawn, Keith shook his head. He wasn’t uneasy at all. Which was unusual given the circumstances, but somehow he couldn’t feel any malice or ill intent from the tall man standing before him. He hadn’t been yelled at, or rebuked, unlike the last few weeks with Adam. And considering that Shiro had every right to put him on the next flight back, the man hadn’t done anything remotely unkind so far, always asking for input.

And Keith was realistic. He knew just because he had been distracted by Shiro’s tales, they were still stuck in this awkward situation. But he really did feel sleepy, the yawns coming more frequently now, no doubt lulled by all the food.

“Well you are almost falling asleep, and I’m not carrying you upstairs after all the food you ate…(Keith responded with a startled “Hey!” slightly slow to pick up the teasing in his current state) ...so off to bed with you then, young man.” Shiro laughed again as Keith yawned for the upteenth time. “Do you want to take a water bottle with you for the night?”

“Umm, ok, I guess.”

“I’ll bring it up, why don’t you get ready for bed?” Shiro offered, gathering up the last of the food to put back in the fridge. As he folded up the bag of chips, a sudden thought came to him.

When was the last time he had shared a meal like this another person in this house?

A few nights a week he would simply heat up whatever his housekeeper made for him, hunched over by himself while catching up on news at the counter. Some nights he simply ate at work. Adam never wanted to dine at home when he came on his little visits.

As he turned off the lights, Shiro sighed, feeling a weird sense of loneliness. He slowly made his way upstairs, feeling tired to the bone.

He knocked lightly on the door to the guest room, even though it was ajar, waiting for an answer. After a minute, he called out softly, “Keith?” When no answer was forthcoming, he gently nudged the door open and peered inside.

The light was still on, but Keith was curled up on one side, clearly fully asleep. He had on very faded looking pajamas which made Shiro frown. As quietly as he could manage, he drew the curtains; the sunlight would be bright on this side of the house, and he didn’t want the boy to wake up sooner than he needed to. He placed the water bottle on the bedside stand, then gently put the cover over Keith’s peacefully sleeping form.

The boy didn’t move once, breath steady and even, clearly lost to the world. Shiro’s heart gave a little lurch; Keith didn’t deserve all the drama Adam had created. He had meant every word he had said earlier about wanting to take care of the teenager, it was the least he could do, and seeing his vulnerable sleeping form made Shiro even more determined to carry through with that.

Turning off the lights, Shiro left the door ajar as he found it, he didn’t want Keith to feel like a he was locked in. with no escape. He took one last peek, before walking away, whispering, “Goodnight, Keith.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Keep the Sheith flames burning, peeps, not the fandom.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not proof-read, will fix it later.

Keith had woken up in the morning, puzzled why the ceiling seemed so unfamiliar for a few disoriented seconds before the memories came back in full force. He lay there for a few minutes trying to gather his thoughts before the press of his bladder forced him to get up and walk to the ensuite.

An unopened toothbrush caught his eyes, as he flushed the toilet, yawning. Did a lot of people stay here in the guestroom? There was another door a few steps from this room, was it another guest room? Something else? Why did Shiro live here by himself?

As the hot water steamed up around him, Keith shook his head.

It was not his nature to be overly interested in other people’s lives, but he couldn’t help thinking about the man whose house he currently found himself in. Especially considering the man’s relationship to his legal guardian. Just the thought of Adam was enough to make Keith scowl, so he aggressively worked shampoo into his hair to distract himself.

Shiro had said he would find a lawyer he could speak to, and till then Keith won’t think of the older Omega. He slowed down, basking under the water as it flowed over him, willing all the worry to go away for a few minutes. Once dressed, he made his way downstairs, moving as quietly as he could in case it was too early for the other man to be awake.

“Good morning.” Shiro looked up from his cup of coffee with a smile. “Did you sleep well?”

“Goo...d...morning. Yeah” Keith mumbled, suddenly feeling shy. Shiro was still in pajamas, hair tousled, far more informal than last night which made the boy feel like a stranger again, the unexpected visitor.

“Good! Want some cereal? Or eggs? I already had breakfast.”

“I can help myself, cereal is not hard.” Keith offered not wanting to take the other man away from whatever he was reading, but the book beside the coffee was abandoned anyway as Shiro got up.

“It’s fine, I don’t mind, I need a coffee refill anyway.” the man said, taking out a bowl, then a box of cereal. “Umm, I hope you like this?”

“Frosted Flakes?” Keith looked at the taller man quizzically.

“Yup! They’re _great!_ ” the older man imitated Tony the Tiger’s upbeat voice, making Keith almost snort.

“Are you supposed to be having this kind of sugary cereal first thing in the morning?” He asked pouring a generous serving into the bowl placed before him. “Shouldn’t you be having...I don’t know muesli or something?”

“Muesli? I’m 20, not 80.” Shiro shuddered.

Keith raised his eyebrows in surprise, “You’re only four years older than me?”

“How old did you think I was?” the smiling man asked.

‘I wasn’t sure really…” Keith trailed off, flushing slightly.

Adam was older, so he had sort of assumed that the man’s husband would be, too. Now in the brighter sun light, he could see that Shiro was younger than he had thought, despite the authority the man seemed to exude. Certainly the informal sleepwear made him seem less older than what Keith remembered of the man from the previous night.

“Oh, geez, thanks for making me feel like a grandpa.”

“What?” Keith stammered a bit, “No, no, you do not look like grandpa. You look…” rather very handsome, he wanted to say, the thought coming out of nowhere, but one that did fit as he looked at the Alpha. He quickly averted his eyes; it felt like crossing some kind of line, assessing the man’s looks so openly. “Ah, you look your age.”

“Well, that’s comforting.” the taller man laughed, grey eyes shining with warmth, as Keith took a quick peek at the smiling face. Shiro looked comfortable, not tell-tale signs of anger or irritation, and the teenager knew that it wouldn’t have gone over so well with Adam...damn it, he won’t think about the other man.

He finished his bowl in relative quiet, as Shiro went back to his reading. Outside the sun was already bright, and as Keith cleared away his bowl, he hummed a little under his breath, feeling strangely at ease despite the new surrounding. Maybe it was the relative silence of the house, and the lack of the usual noises of the city, because he felt free of his usually need to be on guard. There was no annoying orphanage workers, no nosey kids trying to put him down, no disapproving classmates who looked down at him.

It was a relief.

Which he knew was short-lived as with a small sigh he turned off the kitchen tap, wiping his hands down on the small towel by the sink. He turned around, squaring his shoulders, folding his arms across his chest, and cleared his throat.

Shiro looked up from his book at the sound, “Finished? Alright then, let’s get you all sorted out.”  
  


* * *

 

 

They ended up in what was clearly Shiro’s office, a large room dominated by a wall of books, models of planes, and various artwork depicting the stars. Keith didn’t spare them too much attention for the moment, as he sat across from the man who had two neat piles of paper on the desk between them, one of which he was given to read.

“I’ve written down some questions which I thought might be useful for you, if you wanted to ask the lawyer. Ms. Lowell’s profile is printed on the back, you can look it over, and if you are comfortable with her, I can give her a call.”

Keith flipped through the neatly written first page, then the blank ones marked as “notes” to the tabbed portion which displayed a simple logo of Lowell & Lowell, attorneys at law etc. with a photo of the said Ms. Lowell, followed by a number of letters noting all her various degrees. She specialized in family law, and seemed to have won a few awards for her pro-bono work concerning adaptations. There were a few articles listed, which he ignored as well as what he assumed were other lawyers or such, gushing about her work.

“She comes highly recommended, however…” Shiro paused, pushing the other much smaller stack of papers on the desk, “Here are a list of ten other potential lawyers that might be more to your linking. I say, ten, but depending on their workload, in actuality, it might be less.”

“When did you do all this?” Keith asked, eyeing everything.

“Oh, this morning.” Shiro smiled. “I’m an early riser, have to work out my old-man bones.”

The omega closed his eyes, “Oh, my god…” he muttered, as the alpha laughed.

“Ok, ok, I’ll be serious. All the details are there for other firms, there’s also a government agency which can provide some help, but they probably have a backlog of cases, and I’m not sure if they would prioritize yours right away. But if you look at the green-coloured tab…”

“Ok, stop. I can’t believe you spent all this time putting together all of this.” Keith waved his hand over the very organized work, feeling himself getting just slightly, very slightly, emotional. How...why...he couldn’t think of the right words to express his disbelief at how much information Shiro had managed to put together during the morning.

No one put this much work together to help him.

Ever.

Yet, Shiro clearly had, and looked absolutely fine with it, no hint of impatience or anger visible on his face, just that open carefree smile.

“I’m...is this not enough?” the man asked, and Keith could almost touch the sincerity that those clear grey eyes showed. “I’m sorry, I overstepped in my efforts to help. I should have let you…”

“Shiro...this is too much, you didn’t have to do any of this…” Keith stopped, finding it hard to speak. He still couldn’t believe that a total stranger would be this worried about offending him, by doing something _for_ him.

“It’s nothing at all though. I want to make sure you have access to every available resource. I won’t lie, and say I know how it feels, but I can sympathize with your problem, Keith. I’d even offer for you to stay here, but I know that it would be my misguided pride speaking, and I have no intention of forcing that decision on you. You need sound, unbiased legal counselling, and that is something I can help with.” Shiro paused. “You need to know that your opinion, and wishes are the ones that matter the most, not Adam’s, nor mine.”

Keith drew in a long breath, unsure how to express the gamut of his emotions at the moment. He knew that he couldn’t trust easily; most of the people he’d come across always had some hidden agenda, their own selfish reasons, and yet, everything this man said struck a chord somewhere deep within him. He tried to think of what benefit was in it for Shiro to do anything for him, but he couldn’t think of of a clear reason.

Yes, it would be some kind of petty revenge on Adam if Shiro did look after him; the man had admitted as much, but what else would he gain?

“Thank you.” was all he could think to say, fingers tightening on the papers at his hand. He hoped that Shiro knew how much he did mean it.

“Don’t thank me yet.” the older man said, “I’ll let you look through everything and then decide which law firm you’d like to contant.”

“Umm, I’m sure Ms. Lowell would be more than fine for me. She seems to have a lot of experience, unless I’m missing something from all this lawyer lingo?”

“I don’t understand the half of it either, but everything I had found on her indicates that she is very well respected, and has an excellent track record with most of her cases.”

The younger man, nodded, “I’ll try my luck with her then.”

“Alright then...Reiss, my lawyer had already told her we might be calling today. I’ll just do the introductions, then you can speak to her privately, ok?” Shiro picked up the receiver, “If at any point you need anything, just put her on hold, and call me, I’ll be in the living room. Ready?”

“Yeah.” Keith said, watching Shiro press the numbers on the phone. As ready as I’ll ever be, he though as Shiro put the call on speaker.  
  
The talk lasted about two hours and a half, Keith almost instantly liking Ms. Lowell’s voice, and her no-nonsense attitude.

She had assured him everything was confidential, and that her consultation fee was waived based on his situation. They had gone through what seemed like Keith’s entire life story; she had coaxed out details from him, things he hadn’t realized they had delved into till much later (which he took as a sign of a good lawyer), and come to a conclusion of sorts.

For the time being, Keith would hold off on filling any legal procedures, based on his desire to stay where he was, with the promise of a follow-up in month’s time. She would contact the authorities should she be unable to reach Keith for any reason, based on all that had taken place with Adam.

Why he had decided to stay, was a bit of a puzzle, one he couldn’t fully explain, but Ms. Lowell seemed to understand, and thankfully didn’t press him about it. Instead, she explained his decision to Shiro, avoiding giving away any of Keith’s personal details (Keith’s respect for her went up a notch) whom the teenager had fetched him back to the office.

Shiro had not been put off at all, and had left the room again afterwards, giving them privacy to wrap up the call. Ms. Lowell told Keith that while she wouldn’t normally air her personal views to her clients, she had a good feeling (“lawyer’s hunch” is what she called it) about the alpha, and Keith’s current living arrangement.

Keith let out a breath he wasn’t aware he’d been holding in as they said their goodbyes.  


 

* * *

 

 

The mall was larger than Keith had expected, but then it probably made sense seeing it was the only one around for miles. He held his breath as he spied the name of high end stores, smaller in size than the ones he was used to seeing, but still present in one corner of the building where the more expensive ones were located by the looks of things.

Thankfully Shiro drove past them, to the more generic stores he was much more familiar, and comfortable with. He looked from under his lashes at the other man’s face, wondering for maybe the millionth time how he didn’t seem to be the least bothered by Keith’s choice earlier in the day.

The mall wasn’t crowded, much to Keith’s delight, he hated being around large groups of people. They made their way to store which he was acquainted with, knowing they would have most of the things he needed. Occasionally at the orphanage they’d be taken to similar stores if someone had donated enough money, to purchase a thing or two of their own liking instead of just the donated clothing they usually made do with.

Keith’s parents hadn’t left behind much, but he did have access to a chequing account which had the insurance settlement funds. He could only access a set amount of it every month, something he hardly ever did. He always felt guilty about using funds that came from their passing, but he was now determined to pay for his own necessities without further burdening Shiro, who only argued once about his insistence about paying for the Omega's things.

Shiro didn’t press him much about his choices either, letting him pick things that were simple, monochrome, and nothing fussy. He didn’t even want to try on anything, just grabbed things he felt would fit, before the man shook his head.

“What?” He asked, holding two pairs of jeans, and a few t-shirts.

“Are you sure they are your size?”

Keith looked down at the garments, and shrugged. “They should be.”

“Hmm. Since you won’t be purchasing a lot at once, I think you should try them on and make sure they do fit.” Shiro said, picking out the similar t-shirts in a smaller size.”Otherwise it’s a waste, right?”

Keith frowned. He was so used to wearing whatever was available for a long time, he never thought much beyond just picking clothes, any clothes, any size. Pants too big could easily be held in with belts, but maybe Shiro was right. He was spending money which came from his parents…

Shiro looked at the downcast eyes, and placed his hand cautiously on the Omega’s shoulder. “Keith.” he said softly, “It’s ok.”

Purple eyes seemed to shimmer a bit, and then with a soft sigh, Keith nodded. “I...I’ll try them on, I guess.”

It actually wasn’t much of hassle as he had anticipated. Somehow Shiro had managed to find the change room that was further at the back of the store, meant for quick changes, unlike the ones in the middle of the store with attendants.

As he put put on the sizes Shiro had picked, Keith realized that perhaps the it was alright to wear something brand new which did fit his frame. He never bothered about the way he looked, but somehow, standing in the small change room, looking at his reflection, and not drowning in a stretched out tee-shirt made him feel better.

He bit his lip slightly, turning this way and that, when Shiro’s voice cut short his self-admiring thoughts.

“Everything fit ok, buddy?”

Drawing in a breath, he slowly pushed the curtain aside, and took a hesitant step out.

Shiro smiled, approving. “That looks good. What do you think?”

Keith hoped he wasn’t blushing; he never go compliments, and so he just nodded in answer. He did feel good. Who knew having something that wasn’t years old, and in his size would make him feel so strangely good? Even better was somehow Shiro’s smile, and the genuine enthusiasm he exhutated in response to Keith’s own newly found pleasure.

It somehow went a long way to dissipating his misgivings in spending the insurance money. Maybe it was fine, he thought, trying not to panic at the total amount of his purchases when he handed over his bank card. Shiro’s gentle pat on his shoulder, and reassuring smile made his tense muscles feel less so, as he nodded in response to the cashier’s over enthusiastic thanks.

Perhaps this was the right decision after all, he thought as they settled down at food court after he had been coaxed into accepting Shiro buying him not one, but two pairs of shoes with the promise that he could pay the man back later.

Watching Shiro eat two hamburgers, a boatload of onion rings, and then get give a wince while trying to inhale his milkshake, made Keith shake his head in disbelief

“Brain freeze sucks!” the Alpha declared, pressing two fingers between his eyes. Then he eyed the few remaining fries on Keith’s tray, “Umm, are you going finish those?”

Keith barely got a “No” out, before Shiro scooped them, and shoved them into his mouth as though he hadn’t eaten in days.

“Wow…” Keith managed, as the other man shrugged.

“What? Can’t let it go to waste.” Shiro said, pouting, to which Keith could only raise an eyebrow.

“Oh, shush you!” the taller man said with a large grin. “I’m hungry, ok?”

And for the first time, in a long time, Keith gave a tentative smile of his own in return; a genuine one filled with happiness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wanted to say, you already know where this fic is going, so if you are uneasy with the subject matter, do us both a favour and don't read if it makes you uncomfortable, ok? 
> 
> For the rest of you, carry on! LOL


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the long wait between updates & short chapters. I'm not giving up on any of my fics, so please don't give up on me, either. 
> 
> As usual, unbeta'd, will correct mistakes later.

The call interrupted Shiro’s lunch.

He frowned, making Veronica worry. She had walked into to ask him something, and ended up staying while sharing lunch with the man.

“Do you mind holding just for a minute?” Shiro asked, muting the line. “Would you be alright if I had to run out for a bit? Something’s come up.”

Veronica almost asked, but then held back. It was unlike Shiro to take off suddenly during a work day, and without much explanation. “Of course, Shiro. If it’s something urgent, please take your time, you don’t need to come back at all.”

Shiro smiled, already standing up, and mouthing a “Thank you”, phone now glued to his ear.

 

The girl frowned as she picked up the half-eaten sandwich. What could have been so important for a workaholic like Shiro to leave without a second glance?  She really hoped it wasn’t anything too serious.

  
  
  
  


* * *

 

 

 

Just like old times, Shiro thought as he sat in the familiar chair across the desk from the older man. The furniture hadn’t changed, neither had the framed degrees, and photos. Larsen also looked the same, barrel chested, military man to the core, even while sitting down.

“This is apparently the third fight, Shirogane.” the man sighed.

Well, that part was definitely not like old times. Shiro hadn’t ever been the recipient of rebukes from Larsen; the times he’d been in the principal’s office had been mostly congratulatory, regarding his academic and athletic accomplishments.

“I’m not even including the little verbal tussles he’s gotten into in the last two months. Granted I haven’t corroborated the story about the first two incidents, but I don’t doubt they didn’t take place.”

Shiro nodded, lips slightly pursed.

“The only reason I haven’t called in other students to start an investigation...well, Shirogane, is simply because of you.”

"I appreciate that, sir.” Shiro said, bowing his head slightly.

Larsen was a great teacher, certainly one of Shiro’s favourites. The feeling was mutual. Now that he was the principal; something that had happening during the last months of Shiro’s school year, it just had worked out to be very convenient. Shiro didn’t have to say much to convince him to accept Keith despite the boy’s grades when they had come in for admission. Just the fact that it was Shiro asking, had been a enough for Larsen to fast track paperwork and any formalities.

“Mr. Larsen, I know you’ve done so much already, but let me try and speak to him again.”

Larsen sighed a little, and leaned forward on his desk, face dropping from his usual formal stance. “I trust you, Shiro. Just...I might not be able to just ignore things next time if…”

Shiro held up his palm. “I understand, Mr. Larsen.”

“Maybe some tutoring would go a long way to not just improve his grades, but general outlook as well?” the other man continued nodding and reverting back to what Shiro thought of the man’s “I’m the teacher” look.

A few more minutes, and he’s gotten Larsen back to reminiscing about former students. The older man happily filled him in with new programs, some planned changes for the school, and such.  Before they part, Shiro tactfully mentions donations for the school; money, he has learnt time and again, made many things run smoothly.

Even on a man like Larsen, who otherwise could be called a strict law-abiding person.

Shaking the man’s hands when they are done, Shiro knows he’s staved off anything permanent going on Keith’s school records, with an understanding that Keith’s grades would go further to smooth things over.

As he stood in the parking lot, Shiro blamed himself for not being more vigilant with Keith. 

For one thing, he never wanted to come off as too pushy, or harsh, knowing what the teenager had been through. But he was realizing that his own guilt in feeling somehow responsible for the entire debacle with Adam wasn’t actually doing Keith any favours. 

Since the first weekend, they had settled into a comfortable friendship of sorts; he liked that fact that he wasn’t alone when he came home. He loved the enthusiasm the Omega showed for flying, taking about space and science. It was nice to have that from someone who was right there, every day, to speak to during dinner, or wave goodbye to in the mornings.

He especially liked that Keith had taken to preparing dinner for the two of them. The first time he’d been surprised to come home to find Keith taking out a simple casserole out of the oven, and in an offhand way shrugging off Shiro’s comment about the fact. Of course, he had told the younger man not to feel any obligation to do anything of a sort, but Keith’s slightly crestfallen face had made him feel bad. Shiro knew his own cooking skills were nothing to brag about, and he had mostly relied on whatever the housekeeper had left for him in the fridge for meals. While that wasn’t bad, it was definitely not the same as having freshly prepared food on his plate at the end of the day.

Shiro admitted defeat, and he began to look forward the smell of cooking when he came back from work on the days Keith felt like making something. He felt a long forgotten sense of comfort when that happened, it made the empty house he’d been living in, even more of a refuge than he thought possible.

The sharp sound of the bell ringing interrupted his thoughts.

A few minutes later, his phone buzzed, Keith acknowledging his text to meet in the visitor’s parking lot. 

The look on the Omega’s face may have seemed neutral, but Shiro had gotten somewhat familiar with Keith’s cues in the past months. Those eyes couldn’t mask the slight tension with which he clutched at his backpack as he walked towards Shiro.

“Hey, ready to go?” Shiro asked, trying to stay upbeat.

Keith barely nodded, keeping his eyes downcast as he slid into the passenger’s seat.

“Music?” Shiro asked, Keith just shrugged, still avoiding looking at him directly.

As they waited for the school buses to pass, Shiro laughed. “Man, this sure brings back memories waiting for the bus. I couldn’t wait to drive, so I didn’t have to wait around forever after class to get out of here. But of course, they always let the buses out first, which stupid teenage me didn’t understand till I got my first car, and had to wait around any way.”

One of his old teachers spotted him, and waved, which he returned, muttering under his breath. “Oh man, Ms. Karen’s eyesight is as sharp as ever. You should be glad she’s not one of your teachers, we used to call her Kal-El. “

At Keith’s slightly quizzical look, Shiro explained “ Because you couldn’t hide anything from her.”

“Ok...”

“You know like see through walls?”

Keith hummed.

“Superman? His name is Kal-el? X-ray vision and all that? Don’t tell me you don’t know that?”

“I just...never got into comics. It’s filled with these perfect people, too good to be true.” Keith shrugged.

They were finally able to move, and Shiro sped up as soon as they left the school zone, suddenly feeling reckless. 

Keith looked at him, a little puzzled as the older man deftly maneuvered around the car in-front to the on-ramp of the highway. They bypassed the three right lanes at a speed which set Keith’s heart beating just a little faster. Shiro didn’t even blink, creeping up easily 20, then 30 km/hr over the speed limit as Keith eyed the dashboard.

Shiro just grinned, reaching out to pat Keith’s knee, “Relax, I know what I’m doing.”

The cocky smile made Keith’s breath halt for a second, as did the hand on his leg, but Shiro moved his palm away, shifting gears again, and they were doing easily 150 km/hr, the needle on that speedometer not stopping.

Keith never had been in a car which didn’t lurch along at the posted speed limits at all times, felt the excitement growing under his skin. Shiro had never driven recklessly previously either, nothing that made the tiny hair on the back of his arms tingle at any rate. 

Which it did now.

And he found himself grinning, gleefully watching as all the over vehicles around them seem to fall behind, just little blurs flashing by. 

Instead of going home, Shiro drove past the exit still at a breakneck speed. Keith didn’t care where they were headed. He almost wished they didn’t have to stop; and just like that the earlier dread came back.

He knew there was good reason for Shiro to have be at the school earlier. He had been expecting a call to the principal’s office, but that never happened. Then he was sure Shiro was going to be angry when they met in the parking lot, but the Alpha had seemed fairly normal. 

And then the high speed ride had distracted him, but as the distance between Shiro’s house and the highway grew, so did Keith’s anxiety. 

He was about to say something when Shiro broke the silence, “Almost there, hope you are hungry.”

Eyebrows drawn, Keith asked, “We’re going somewhere to eat?”

“Oh yeah, I’m starving, missed lunch.” As if on cue, Shiro’s stomach grumbled. “See? Starving!”

The car slowed down, just ever so slightly, heading to the off-ramp as Keith frowned. “You aren’t taking me to the airport?”

Shiro glanced at him quickly. “Airport? Why would I take you to the airport?”

They had pulled up to a small parking lot, just off the highway, with a single story building proclaiming the business’s name “Tom & Sons’ Diner”.  

“You aren’t going to send me back?” Keith asked, finally looking into Shiro’s eyes.

“Why would I send you back?”

“Stop it, I know I’m in trouble at school.” Keith’s anger was simmering just underneath. “I’m sure Larsen must have called you. You don’t have to pretend to be nice anymore, just yell at me already, I know you’re furious.”

Shiro closed his eyes with a sigh. "Yes, Larsen called me. And yes, I know what happened. But I’m not angry.”

Keith snorted, shaking his head. He knew Shiro was angry. He had to be. Because Keith fucked up again. He always fucked up.

“Keith, look at me.” Shiro reached out to gently to cover the balled up fists on Keith’s knee. He didn’t apply pressure, he just wanted to let the younger boy know he was there. “I’m not mad at you.”

Keith’s jaw clenched, clearly disbelieving, but he looked up to meet the other man’s gaze.

“I’m really not mad at you. I’m more upset at myself for not paying more attention. I didn’t want to make you feel like you are incapable of handling things on your own, but I think I was wrong to some degree. I’m not used to looking after someone, but I should have been helping you more.”

“What? No, I’m the one who messed up and got into a fight and…”

“Yes, well I’m aware you have a tendency to leap before you look, but in all fairness, I can’t blame you, we all have things we need to work on. I think maybe some counselling might work in trying to channel your frustrations into something more positive, and I also think you are far too intelligent to be getting the grades you have. But I’m not angry, and I know that you can overcome these little setbacks.”

Keith swallowed down the lump in this throat. Why was it so hard to listen to Shiro when he spoke like this? When those grey eyes looked at him with patience and not judgment, and anger?

“Why do you...believe in me?”

“Because when we can’t believe in ourselves, that’s what friends do.” Shiro’s soft smile, made Keith not scoff at that, which coming from anyone else would have reeked of cliche sentimentality. 

But again, Keith’s heart, which he always tried to ignore, fluttered with hope. 

“But I let you down.”

“I don’t see it that way, but if you want to think of it that way, then fine. Doesn’t mean that I’m not going to give you another chance, not over something as insignificant as this”

Keith didn’t know what to say, he never seemed to find the right words to express himself. Just as he was going to try to say something, Shiro’s stomach growled again.

The Alpha made a goofy face, “Well, that ruined my inspiring speech.”

Keith shook his head, as Shiro shrugged. “Shall we agree that I’m not giving up on you, and then you can make your usual protests while we eat? I mean if you really want a drag-out fight, we can always bring in out to the parking lot after? Please?”

“No, no more fist fights. Not with you. Not with anyone.”

Shiro unbuckled his seatbelt, as his stomach rumbled again, with an exaggerated sigh, “Whew, I didn’t really want to beat up a kid.”

Walking out Keith rolled his eyes. “Please, I could take you any day.” Then flushed. “But no more fights.”

“Well, I’d have gone easy on you…” Shiro looked him up and down, somehow making Keith flustered despite the fact that the other man was simply joking. “...seeing you're just tiny little thing. But yes, please, no more fights.” 

Just before Shiro opened the door to the diner, Keith reached out to grab at the taller man’s tee-shirt lightly.

Shiro raised an eyebrow looking over his shoulder.

“I’m sorry.” Keith said quietly. Then he let go off the warm fabric and held out his hand. “Friends?”

Shiro’s lips curled into a wide smile, eyes lighting up. He engulfed Keith’s hand, pulling him in by surprise. 

Keith blinked, pressed very closely against Shiro’s considerable bulk as the Alpha’s face looked down at him, slightly out of focus to Keith’s startled senses, “For life!”

Just as quickly, Shiro stepped back and opened the door, holding it open for him. “You’ll love the food here Oh, hello, table for two, my buddy and I are starving.” 

Keith hoped his face wasn’t as warm as he felt, as Shiro spoke to the hostess, who beamed from underneath her lashes at the other man. The little ball of unease in his stomach from earlier, seemed to coil again, but this time with an entirely new unknown feeling. 

Maybe he just needed food, Keith thought, ignoring it completely. What other reason could there be?

**Author's Note:**

> Bite me.
> 
> No, really, bite me. I'm full of spite so it will only be salt you'd be ingesting.
> 
> Come yell at me: On Twitter [@JinathHyder](https://twitter.com/JinathHyderr), Insta [Lucifer's Arch Priestess](https://www.instagram.com/jinathhyder/) Cheers! ♥ ♥


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